Author's Notes: And now... For the turning point of the game... And another long chapter. Sigh...

~27 SEPTEMBER 2009~

Minato smiled as Pharos appeared before him. "Welcome back," the older boy nodded.

"Good evening," the boy greeted him in return. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but… there's only one more week until the full moon." He frowned to himself. "I hope nothing serious happens. But, who knows that the future will bring… so be careful."

"I will," the blue-haired boy responded seriously. "I'm already prepared for what might lay ahead of us."

"You seem confident," Pharos smiled at him. "Remember, I'm always watching you. We'll meet again."

When he was alone again, Minato smirked to himself. "Things are falling into place quite nicely. Three more Shadows before Death. I can do this. Everyone is with me and I'll definitely protect everyone."

~30 SEPTEMBER 2009~

Hamuko blushed as she returned the lost pocket watch to its rightful owner. Shinjiro stared at her in surprise before looking around the quiet lounge. "Let's go for a walk," he sighed as they left the building. Without thinking, he ended up leading them to the shrine, but that was fine. It was empty at night and no one would be able to bother them here. "Where did you find this?" he finally asked as the girl remained silent throughout the entire walk there.

"I stopped by the police office today to check with Officer Kurosawa about those people we saved in Tartarus. I noticed it there and remembered you saying something about losing a pocket watch." Hamuko didn't look at him. "It was engraved with your name and everything so I claimed it for you…"

"I see…" Shinjiro softly smiled. He fondly toyed with the watch as he thanked her. "I thought I'd be fine if I never saw this again…"

The girl gave him a confused frown. "Why not? It seems pretty old and important. Should I have just left it there?"

The brunet chuckled. "Nah, it ain't like that," he shook his head. "It's the only thing I have from my folks. You should know by now that I ain't that sentimental, but I still kept it on me anyway. When I lost it, I thought it was a sign for me to let it go…" He stared into the girl's red eyes. "But I never imagined that you of all people would bring it to me."

Hamuko blushed. "It was nothing, Shinji-kun," she whispered.

The older boy nervously reached into his pocket. "This isn't really to pay you back," he said as his face became warm, "but I want you to have this." He gently lifted her arm up and put on a pink wristwatch for her. "I was hesitating about if I should give it to you or not."

"R-really?" Hamuko studied the silver face of the clock.

"I thought it'd look good on you…" he gently smiled.

"I love it. Thank you…" The girl hugged her arm as she treasured the gift. She paused though as she vaguely remembered a superstition her grandfather had told her about how receiving a watch as a gift was rather unlucky. She herself didn't quite take stock in such beliefs as her brother did, but she still gave the older boy with her a questioning glance. "Why a watch, though?"

"Because, it…" Shinjiro frowned to himself. "It keeps track of time. This is all I could think of." He smiled wryly at her. Time is precious… he had wanted to say. And I took enough of yours… He lowered his gaze as his stern expression returned. "Look after Aki. You know he's an idiot," he told her. "You remember the story about the first fight we ever had?" Shinjiro shook his head at how stupid his younger self was. "It was because… I stole a doll from a toy store. Aki's sister couldn't make any friends. I stole it because I thought it'd make her happy. Aki found out about it and beat the crap outta me… and he was crying the whole time. Afterwards, we both went back to the store to return it… and to apologize for what I did. The toy store's owner smacked us both." Shinjiro tried to put on a smile for the girl before him. "He hasn't changed at all from back then. He's stupid, honest, proud, kind… and a crybaby. That's why someone needs to be by his side."

Hamuko hugged the older boy. "We'll be by his side," she reassured him. "We're all a team. We won't leave anyone behind, Shinji-kun. Not even you… You're a part of everyone too."

Not for long… Shinjiro frowned to himself, but he returned the girl's hug and rubbed her back. "Yeah… I'll be counting on all of you," he said in relief. "I ain't worried at all," he softly spoke in her ear, "because I know you're with him. I've leaving the rest to you."

"Stop speaking as if something is going to happen to you," Hamuko pushed herself closer to the boy, annoyed that she couldn't get as close as she wanted to thanks to his thick jacket in the way. "We'll be there to support Akihiko-senpai together, Shinji-kun… No matter what…" She clenched her fist around his coat and felt how her new watch constricted her left wrist. "We still have so much time left..." she shakily whispered, refusing to believe the gift was a premonition of their time together coming to an end.

Shinjiro let a heavy sigh but allowed the girl to cling to him a moment longer. When she stopped trembling in his arms, he slowly released her from the hug but a rather strong breeze blew through the shrine just then. The tall boy reached a hand towards his beanie to make sure it was secure on his head. "The wind's starting to pick up…" he frowned. "I kinda want to stay here a little longer if we can, but…" He looked at the small girl worriedly. "Aren't you cold?"

Hamuko shook her head. "I'm fine…" she tried to say with a smile, but she began to shiver.

"Hey, you're gonna catch something." Shinjiro smirked as he took his beanie off and put it on her head. He also pulled open his jacket before wrapping her in another warm hug. "C'mere…"

The red-eyed girl blushed as she pressed her head against his chest. She could hear his steady heartbeats so relished the moment as she listened to its steady rhythm. "Shinji-kun…?" she muttered.

"Are you uncomfortable?" The boy looked down to her in concern.

Hamuko shook her head. "I wanted to tell you something…" she frowned.

"It's alright," the boy reassured her. "Anything you have to say, I'll listen."

"Maybe another time…" she smiled to herself. I love you, Shinji… She paused as a flash appeared before her eyes. A new Persona presented itself to her as the great angel Sandalphon bowed to his new charge.

"I have heard your call. From now until eternity, you will have my divine protection," Sandalphon said as he returned to her. "May your smile forever shine upon the Moon…"

~2 OCTOBER 2009~

As September quickly came to an end, the twins quickly finished a couple more Social Links they shared. The first was Yukari with her Lovers Arcana. Minato had felt awkward at first barging in on her and his sister's friendship, but Yukari really was kind of like another sister to him. Besides, she completely understood his fears of losing others close to him. Their shared fear actually helped Yukari get over her animosity towards her mother.

One day, as the three went out to get coffee, Yukari blushed as she admitted something to them. "I've been thinking a bit. Finding someone to care for, and loving them with everything I've got…" she smiled to the twins. "And even if I do lose that person someday, I want to be able to cherish that sadness, too."

Minato blinked at that. "But… won't it hurt to never be with them again?"

Hamuko shook her head at him. "Nii-san, it's about focusing on how important the person was."

"That's right," Yukari nodded as the younger twin understood. "I want to really cherish being with them to the point that I won't even have time to feel sad when they're gone… I mean, no matter how sad I'll be, my memories of being with them will never disappear. It doesn't suddenly make the happiness I felt when I was with them a lie…"

"Is that so?" Minato looked to his sister with worry before giving both girls a soft smile. "Well, I guess I can understand then…"

Yukari lightly laughed at herself. "I swore that I'd never get married, but I'm surprised at how my mind's been changed so suddenly… I didn't think it was possible to change that much…" She paused as she smiled to herself. "I… like the new me. Th-thanks," she looked up at the twins. "I think it's because of you guys…"

Hamuko shook her head. "We didn't do much, Yukari. You were our first friend here."

"That's right," Minato nodded. "If we did anything to help, it was mainly because you reached out to us when we first moved into the dorm."

Yukari blushed at the twins. "I used to be jealous of you two…" she admitted. "I wish I could have a reliable older brother like Minato, or even a cool sister like Hamuko, but you guys accepted me for who I am." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She undid the charm strap hanging from it. "Here, I wanted to give this to you…"

Hamuko blinked at her as she flipped the worn charm in her hands. "Yukari…"

"I got it at the opening ceremony for the Moonlight Bridge," the brunette explained to them. "It's been my special keepsake for many years… ever since my dad bought it for me. I used to talk to the toy figurine attached to it when I was alone in my room." She giggled and shook her head. "You must think I'm nuts, huh? But, as time passed… I stopped talking to it. I figured out why… The reason why I talked to my 'little friend' was because I wanted something to hang onto. I figured out… that I was just trying to run away into the happy memories I had."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Minato said with a frown. "So long as you can find the strength to go towards the future, it doesn't hurt to remember the past."

"But I felt like I was using it as a tool to act like a damsel in distress," Yukari told him. "That's why I want you to hold on to it… at least until I stop running." She looked at the siblings with determination. "Until I can go proudly see my mom and the two of us can reminisce about my dad."

The blue-haired boy paused for a moment before giving their friend a nod and a smile. Beside him, Hamuko clenched the charm tightly. "We'll take care of it until then," the red-eyed girl nodded.

"Remember," Minato reminded the archer, "if you need a shoulder to lean on, we're here for you, Yukari. That's what siblings do…" he gently smiled.

"Th-thanks," Yukari blushed at him.

Their next visit to Tartarus surprised the archer when Io resonated with the twins' Cybele. The deity protected the team and took down a dangerous group of Shadows by showering their enemy with a hail of arrows. Seeing the Persona on the battlefield brought a smile to Yukari as she knew she would have to do her best to keep up with the twins' strength.

But their growth didn't stop there as they finally completed the Hierophant Link with Bunkichi and Mitsuko. The siblings had visited them one day and were surprised when the old man revealed to them that the couple was okay with having the persimmon tree removed.

"Recently, I went to visit the persimmon tree," Bunkichi smiled at them, "and I met a student on my way back. He told me that the school is planning to build a new addition. It would be selfish of an old man like me to deprive those young people of new learning opportunities…" He glanced up towards the ceiling. "I think it'd make our son happy, too, since he was a teacher. Helping those kids is more important than hanging on to his memory."

"Will you really be alright with this?" Minato turned to Mitsuko in concern.

"Minato-chan…" the elderly woman smiled at the considerate boy. "You and Hamuko-chan are fine children," she proudly told them.

Bunkichi nodded in agreement. "We're hoping, as we believe our son in heaven is too, that more kind students like you will graduate from Gekkoukan."

Hamuko wiped up the tears that were falling from her eyes. "W-we'll do our best to make sure of it then."

The old man hugged the young girl and placed a round red-orange object in her hands. "Please take this. It's the first fruit produced by the persimmon tree. It's a little rough around the edges, like our son…"

"Thank you," Minato nodded, doing his best to hold himself together. "We'll make your son proud as students of Gekkoukan High."

With the tree's first fruit, the twins released Kohryu from within their sea of souls. The great dragon roared majestically as it submitted to its new masters. The beast showed great reverence towards them and even Shinjiro was impressed by the dragon's devotion to protect the team.

"It looks happy," he smirked. "It sounds like it wants to treasure the feelings you both have for those around you, so it's a good Persona for you both."

Minato had only smirked back though as he could feel his power continue to rise. "We're not done yet though," he said with a nod. "There are others I need to help to expand on our power."

And it was true when Minato was finally able to summon Surt after bonding with his first friend outside of SEES. Kenji hit a major road bump in his relationship with Gekkoukan's Economy teacher. Although Minato had always suspected the teacher was just using him, Kenji wouldn't listen. When his friend's heart broke though, Minato couldn't help but feel angry that the teacher knowingly strung the poor brunet along.

Kenji held him back though as he began to cry. "I'm okay… I'm okay…" he said as he shook. "Thanks, man…" He brought an arm up to wipe up his tears. "It's not Emiri's fault… I'm the one to blame…"

"She shouldn't have played you like that though," Minato seriously told him. "If you want, I can report her to…"

"N-no…" Kenji sadly shook his head. "Despite it all, I don't want that…" He shook his head. "Why, Emiri? WHY!?" He gave up trying to hold back his tears and began crying. "Oh, man… Now my nose is running…" He wryly laughed as he gratefully looked up to his blue-haired friend. "Hey, thanks, Minato… If you weren't here, I'd…" He couldn't finish his thought as he completely broke down.

Minato did his best to console the brunet and a few days later, he offered to take Kenji to Hagakure. The quiet junior enjoyed a meal with the Magician as Kenji found joy in his favorite thing in the world.

As usual, Kenji was the one carrying most of the conversation. He was always like this, talking about things that ranged from ramen to the newest show on television, but he finally stopped when he considered his blue-haired friend patiently sitting at his side. "Anyways, I've been thinking…" Kenji seriously frowned. "When Emiri left, I was really sad, but I'm not sure what I was sad about… Did I really love Emiri, or did I just love the idea of being in a relationship with a teacher…?"

"So which was it?" Minato asked, finishing his soup.

"I've been thinking about it and thinking about it…" the brunet shook his head. "And I just don't know… But what I DO know is…" he smiled at Minato, "you're my friend."

"Yeah," the junior simply nodded, "I'm your friend."

Kenji seemed embarrassed at that but he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handmade choker. "Here, man. Take this."

"What for?" Minato frowned but he accepted the gift anyway.

"I made it for you, dude," Kenji chuckled. "I thought it would look good on you. You don't have much fashion sense, so I wanted to help you out. I mean, that's what best friends do, right?" He became embarrassed again. "J-just take it, man!"

The blue-haired boy chuckled as he put it on. "So, what do you think?"

Kenji crossed his arms and smirked at his friend. "Yeah, definitely not bad," he nodded. "But we won't know for sure until we get Yukari-san, Yuko-san, and Chihiro-san in the same room again," he joked. "You're a lot smoother than I would have guessed."

"H-hey, I'm not… They're not…" Minato shook his head though as he let the brunet have his moment.

Kenji burst out in laughter. "Oh man, your Track skills will come in handy if they ever come after you."

The blue-haired boy smirked. "Well, I'm sure I can count on you and Kaz to lend a hand then." Minato and Kenji laughed as the SEES leader thought of his Chariot Link.

The last Social Link Minato was able to complete as September quickly turned into October was indeed within the Track Team. Kaz's injury was more serious than both boys had previously thought, but the injured runner was too stubborn to accept the surgery. But as practices went on, Kaz noticed the amount of effort Minato was putting forth to cover for him within the team.

After practice ended one day, Kaz asked Minato to come with him to Wakatsu. There was something important he wanted to say and Kaz gave him a roll of sports tape in case the blue-eyed junior ever needed it in practice. He also revealed that he was going to accept the surgery, despite wanting to keep running. Kaz would have to forget about the national meet next year, despite his dream of sweeping the competition.

"It's not like I gave up or am being selfish…" Kaz frowned. "I don't want the whole team to suffer because of me and my nephew… Even if I managed to win, I don't think I'd feel good about it afterward… Before, all I thought about was winning… But when Coach was grilling you about my knee…" Kaz clenched a fist. "I realized I can't keep thinking only of myself. At the same time, I can't just give up on winning, since that's a part of who I am. But for now, I won't worry about winning races, and instead focus on winning back my health! I can't keep asking for your help all the time… but I do want to thank you for the help you've given me so far."

Minato smirked as he played with the sports tape. "You're pretty strong, Kaz. I know you'll recover just fine. If you ever stumble again, Yuko and I will be at your side."

"Yeah…" Kaz nodded. "I'm sorry to have to leave the national tournament next year to you though, Minato. Do your best and I'll do mine!"

The blue-haired boy nodded as he felt Thor emerge within him. When he was given a chance to test the thunder god's power, a vigorous energy filled the SEES leader. Combined with Hamuko's Take-Mikazuchi, the twins also revealed a new Fusion Spell that wreaked electrical havoc onto the Shadows they faced. The rush of power was intense and Minato felt grateful for his friends.

Not only did he help them with their problems, but he learned a lot too. Minato learned to face the future and grab it with his own strength. And if he lacked the courage to do it himself, he could turn towards Hamuko and the others and they would be by his side. Much like the number zero, Minato felt his potential expand beyond his imagination. Even if the fights were getting more difficult, it didn't quite seem that way whenever the blue-haired boy took the lead as they continued up Tartarus.

The tower didn't seem to have an end, but Minato didn't care. The dungeon called to him and he would climb it until he reached its pinnacle. Perhaps the answers he had been chasing all this time would be there, waiting for him. With each passing day, the boy was beginning to get impatient as he considered this. The 'end' was nearly here and he would finally be able to face Death as the proper 'harbor of courage' he desperately strived to be.

Minato smirked to himself as he exited the Velvet Room. This is perfect. Four more Social Links complete and I feel better than ever! He paused as he passed Escapade and decided to check his fortune. He smirked at the irony as he knew the next Shadow would be the Fortune Arcana.

Den Mother smiled as he approached her. "You seem in high spirits today, bearer of light and shadow. Would you like to know your fortune?"

"Yes, please," Minato nodded, taking a seat.

"Very well… After the storm comes not calm, but another trial…" Minato made out the shape of a roulette wheel surrounded by flowers. "Do not despair, however… I sense strong forces at your side, even more so than before…" All of SEES were gathered together. "Be brave, and confront this hardship with unshakeable resolve…" Minato smirked. "Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

Minato stood up and bowed, his confidence skyrocketing higher than before. As he started towards the dorm, he fiddled with the Evoker hidden underneath his uniform after turning on his music player. His headphones loudly blared into his ears as he walked down the familiar streets towards his home.

"Let's let the summer breeze talk to us~ Go with the flow let's keep on fighting~ Never looking forward or back~ Only looking upward where stars are shining~ Even when I'm lost in the course~ Y'all show me the way like moonlight in darkness~"

"All the way until the very end~" Minato smirked as he muttered the song to himself. "Spring came to my life with more than one heart after long years of winter. No man's an island; together united we stand on the ground tall. Feel that? Destiny's in our hands cuz what we do comes back someday." He chuckled to himself to dispel some of the extra energy building up within him. "Midsummer knight's dream~"

"You're in a good mood," a voice loudly said, removing one of the speakers from his ear.

The boy quickly paused his music. "Hey, Hamuko," he smiled. The red-eyed girl blinked at her brother before giving him a frown. "What?"

Hamuko carefully studied her brother before shaking her head. "I don't know how to explain it but you seem different…"

"I just visited the Velvet Room and checked my fortune at Escapade," Minato ecstatically chuckled as he looked forward to the next Full Moon Operation. "Things are almost at an end," he nodded.

"Nii-san…" The younger twin became unsettled by the strange glow in his eyes. "I don't like that smirk you're wearing…"

The blue-haired boy became surprised by this. "Why not?"

"It just doesn't seem like you," the girl honestly replied.

"I'm the same as always, Hamuko," Minato frowned and tilted his head. "Besides, in a few months, my investigation will finally be concluded, the Dark Hour will end, and we'll be able to live in peace. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"You're getting ahead of yourself, nii-san," Hamuko scolded him.

"Am I?" the boy paused to consider it. He shook his head as he sternly argued back. "No… I don't think I am. All of my doubts have finally cleared up. I thought you'd be happy about that…"

"I am but…" Hamuko shook her head. "I don't think this is how I imagined you'd act."

"How am I supposed to act then?" Minato's face scrunched up in confusion. "Hamuko, just what do you expect from me?"

"I expect you to be my brother," the girl sadly looked at him. "It's weird, but I actually miss having you nag me…"

"About what?"

"Everything," the girl frowned. "Me teasing you… My health… Shinjiro…" She wryly laughed at herself. "I didn't think I'd miss my worrywart brother so much…"

"What's the point of worrying?" Minato shrugged. "It distracts me from what's important. I finally have the strength to protect everyone and safeguard the future." He smirked and made a fist. "We're invincible!"

"That's exactly what I'm talking about," Hamuko shook her head. "That right there… You're getting overconfident."

"I can't help it if that's how I feel," Minato frowned at her. He noticed something was bothering his younger sister. "Hey, are you alright? This feels wrong somehow…"

"Yeah, because I'm the one actively worried about the others," Hamuko sighed. She absently played with the watch she wore. "I have a bad feeling about the next mission…"

"Hamuko," Minato stopped walking. "Nothing bad will happen. Everyone's together after all. I won't allow us to fail either," he said with a determined nod. He carefully watched his sister and paused when he noticed her wristwatch. "Huh? When did you get that?"

"A couple of nights ago," she told him. "It was a gift from Shinji-kun."

"Oh… that's right. You're dating," Minato nodded before knitting his eyebrows together in confusion, "I think…"

"We are," Hamuko sighed as she shook her head at her oblivious older brother. "Actually… about that…" A blush began to grow on her face as she became bashful.

"Hm?" The older brother looked at her with worry as it was extremely rare to see her like this. "What is it?"

"Nii-san…" She looked to the ground. "We're not going to Tartarus tonight, are we?"

"If you want to, we can," he shrugged. "Why?"

"Um… can I ask something from you?"

"It depends," Minato stared at her suspiciously.

"Can you take everyone to Tartarus tonight? Without me?"

"Sure…" the older brother frowned to himself. "We could use one last training session, I guess. I should be fine taking the lead on my own." He studied his younger sister and noticed she refused to look at him. "Hey, are you sick? Is that why you're staying behind on your own?"

"Not exactly…" She shook her head. "Um… By take 'everyone' I meant 'everyone but Shinji-kun'…"

Minato blinked at her. "W-what!?"

"J-just for tonight!" Hamuko cried. "P-please!?"

"Y-you know what you're asking of me, right?" the older twin asked as his face went red. "What makes you think I'll say yes?"

"Because I love him," she blurted out without thinking. Both twins were silent for a while before the red-eyed girl shook her head. "I-I m-mean…"

"You love him," Minato repeated as he put his hands in his pockets. He considered things for himself. "Did you tell him that?"

"N-no, not yet," Hamuko shook her head.

The blue-haired boy's face softened. "I see…" He began walking again and Hamuko quickly followed after him. Minato shook his head as he sighed. "Alright then…"

"Huh?"

"I'll take the team up Tartarus," he said with a nod.

"You will?" Hamuko stared at her brother with wide eyes. "Really?"

"Just for tonight," he frowned as he turned away from her. "I… I trust Shinji-nii so… Hm…" He couldn't bring himself to say anything else.

The younger twin smiled as she hugged her brother. "Thanks, nii-san…"

"Ngh…" Minato wryly smirked. "Please don't make this any more awkward for me…"

"Now there's the nii-san I know and love," Hamuko laughed as she tightened her hug.

The blue-haired boy sighed but returned the hug. "I guess…"

Shinjiro frowned as he noticed Hamuko looking at him expectantly. "You can stare at me like that all day," he shook his head at her. "I got nothing for you. Haven't you wasted enough time on me? What more do you want?"

Hamuko smirked as she scooted her seat closer to him. "I want to talk more with you," she giggled.

"Man, you're weird," the brunet rolled his eyes. "You hungry? I'll make you something. Might as well talk and eat at the same time, right?" He stood up to prepare a simple meal. As they ate and chatted about random things though, Shinjiro noticed the dorm was a lot quieter than usual. He glanced around the lounge and noticed everybody was gone. "Huh? Where the hell did everyone go?"

Hamuko smirked as her brother had snuck them all out when she had Shinjiro distracted. She blushed as she prepared to tell him about her feelings. "Shinji-kun?"

"Yeah?" Shinjiro turned his head back towards her as he gave up looking for everyone else.

"I love you," she bluntly told him.

"Huh?" The brunet looked at her in confusion. His face suddenly went red as he turned away. "D-don't tease me like that!"

"You don't believe me?" Hamuko asked, a bit crestfallen.

Shinjiro noticed her hurt expression and quickly shook his head. "That's… not it, but…" He began scolding her. "I mean, why just blurt out something like that? Here of all places…?"

Hamuko looked at him with determination. "Won't you come to my room?"

"I-I can't do that," Shinjiro stood from the table. His face was red as he immediately understood what she wanted from him. "I mean, you're… Well, people are gonna get the wrong idea."

"That just leaves your room, then," Hamuko said, standing up.

"Y-you moron," the brunet frowned as he backed himself against the wall.

She reached for his hand. "Can I go to your room?"

"What?" Shinjiro shook his head. "You moron. I… I ain't a nice guy. I can't let you in my room. Don't you get it?"

"I know what I'm saying," the red-eyed girl stared into his steel grey eyes.

Determined to hold his ground, Shinjiro sternly stared back. "No way. It's not gonna happen." He faltered a bit when her eyes continued to look up at him in a strange mixture of sadness, worry, and desperation. "Look, you need to watch yourself. Don't bother with someone like me."

Hamuko quickly took the opportunity to hug him. "I still love you, Senpai!"

She was shaking against him and Shinjiro's expression softened. "Idiot…" He glanced around the empty dorm once more. So… You roped your brother into this mess too? He sighed as they started for his room.

Hamuko practically forced her way past his door but as she entered, she was a bit disappointed by how barren it was. The only thing of note was the messy bed and unused desk. Still, it wasn't like she expected much to begin with. The few belongings he had were always on his person.

Shinjiro closed the door behind him and crossed his arms. "So? Happy now? You're always pushing me around all the time…" He looked away from her and glared at the wall. "You're just gonna ignore what I want, huh?"

"Pretty much," Hamuko giggled as she continued exploring the empty room.

"Yeah, well, two can play that game," he smirked as he suddenly embraced her from behind.

"Sh-shinji-kun?" Hamuko was surprised by his boldness. She blushed as she felt his warm breath on her ear.

"This is your fault, you know," he said in a low voice. "I'm all confused. You're all I can think about, day and night." He tightened his hug. "Dammit, this isn't how it's supposed to be…" He slowly let her go and pointed to the door behind him. "You get it, right? Go back to your room. If you don't go now, you're not gonna get another chance."

Hamuko shook her head and hugged him from the front. "I'm not going anywhere!"

Shinjiro sighed as he pulled her closer to him. "You're a real piece of work, you know that…?" He paused for a moment to make sure she wasn't having second thoughts. "I'm gonna make myself clear… I ain't holding back any more."

"That's fine," Hamuko nodded as she looked up at him. "I love you, Shinjiro…"

The brunet stared at her tender red eyes before giving in. He tipped his head forward to give her forehead a gentle kiss. "I love you too…"

~4 OCTOBER 2009~

Minato stood with his arms crossed as he meditated on the night's mission. He opened his eyes when Fuuka picked up something.

"I've located the target…" She checked once again to make sure she had the right location. "It's in the plaza in front of Iwatodai Station!"

Ikutsuki nodded. "This will be the 10th… Only a few left, but let's worry about them one at a time."

"Assuming they come one at a time," Yukari sighed. She quickly giggled and shook her head. "Just kidding."

"Yukari-chan, how did you know!? I sense two of them!"

"Are you serious!?" the archer frowned. "Me and my big mouth…"

"It doesn't matter," Minato shook his head as he eagerly picked up his sword. "Bring them both on," he impatiently stated.

"Dude, you sound like Akihiko-san," Junpei stared at their leader while the boxer himself impatiently glanced around the room.

Akihiko frowned when he noticed his best friend was missing. "Where's Shinji?"

"He just notified me that he'll meet up with you later," Fuuka told him. "I didn't ask any questions."

Hamuko frowned. "Really?" She turned to her brother in worry but he was preoccupied with sharpening his sword. "Nii-san…"

"It's fine," the leader said with certainty as he didn't want to focus on anything that would distract him from their current mission. "If he says he'll meet us later, he'll meet us later."

Akihiko crossed his arms. "Figures. He's always played by his own rules."

"It's okay," Junpei shrugged. "At least he's coming, right?"

"Yeah," Yukari frowned at him. "Not like someone I know who missed last time."

"Hello?" the capped boy glared at her. "I was tied up, remember!? Sheesh, give a guy a break."

"Wait," Yukari looked around the room again. "Ken-kun isn't here, either… Hey Junpei, go get him. That'll be your punishment for last time."

"Punishment…? What is this, kindergarten?" Junpei sighed as he left the room. "That little shit is more trouble than he's worth," he muttered.

Mitsuru ignored his last statement and looked over the rest of the team. "All right, let's move out. This time, there are two enemies. We'll determine our formation once we arrive."

Minato nodded as he gave his sword a test swing. It cut through the air effortlessly and he carefully sheathed it. "Let's go, everyone," he said, eyes glowing.

"There they are!" Yukari spotted the Shadows immediately as they arrived at Iwatodai Station. "This is the way we go to school! We've gotta protect this place…"

"It seems like they've been waiting for us," Fuuka frowned.

"Heh," Minato smirked as he narrowed his gaze at them, "Like hens lined up for slaughter..."

Hamuko nervously looked over at her brother and shivered when she saw the dangerous gleam in his blue eyes. "Nii-san..."

Mitsuru gave a headcount of their members again. "Where's Amada?"

"He wasn't in his room," Junpei shrugged, "so who knows…"

Akihiko didn't have a good feeling about this. "Dammit, Shinji… Where are you?"

"No matter," Minato shook his head, eager to finally get started. "We're enough to handle them." His right hand twitched towards his Evoker and sword.

"Um, I think we should hurry…" Fuuka said. "They look like they're about to make their move."

"Alright," Mitsuru looked towards their field leader expectantly. "Let's decide on a team and engage the enemy!"

"Hamuko, Junpei, Yukari, Koromaru, let's go!" Minato called out. He looked towards Fuuka expectantly and his smirk grew as Lucia appeared. "Start scanning!" he ordered as he dove into the fray.

Fuuka nodded. "I'll keep you informed! Please be careful!"

Minato's blue eyes shone as he pulled out his Evoker. "Samael!" A large explosion erupted in front of him, damaging both Shadows.

"Starting off with the big guns, huh?" Junpei smirked at the leader's Megido spell. "Well, I can't fall behind! Hermes!" The golden Persona charged the flowery Shadow.

"Be careful! They're both immune to light and dark spells!" The Strength Shadow began casting a spell and Fuuka gasped. "Everyone! Be careful!"

"It's not meant for us," Minato frowned as flower petals surrounded the dog-like Shadow.

"I see," Fuuka nodded. "I don't detect the Fortune one anymore! The Strength one must have done something! You can't attack it right now… Concentrate on the one whose Arcana is Strength!"

"You heard her," Hamuko called out as she slashed her weapon against the protective Shadow. Koromaru growled and followed up her attack with an acrobatic flip. "Good boy, Koro-chan!"

Yukari cast Garula. "Junpei!"

"On it!" The capped boy jumped into the air and brought his blade down on the Shadow. It toppled over but quickly got back up again. "Tch! It just won't go down!"

"No matter," Minato smirked as he pulled his sword free from the metal fencing surrounding their enemy.

"Minato-kun, the Fortune Shadow is acting!"

"Thanks for the warning!" Minato launched himself backwards to the rest of the team as a large wheel fell from the sky. He watched as it began spinning. "A roulette?"

"That wheel's effects depend on where it stops. Red is bad luck… I hope it doesn't come up."

"Hamuko! You feel lucky tonight?" Minato smirked at his sister.

The red-eyed girl smirked back. "Luckier than you!" She tagged the lever with her naginata to stop the roulette but her smile disappeared when it landed on a red space. "Uh oh…"

A large blast erupted from the team. "Kugh!" Minato landed at the foot of the Strength Shadow. His eyes widened as the female Shadow prepared to use Gigantic Fist on him. Koromaru barked and summoned Cerberus. The leader felt his body get lighter and quickly flipped out of the way. "Thanks, Koromaru!" He fired his own Evoker with a roar. "Melchizedek! Mediarahan!"

"Thanks!" Yukari called out as she got up. She fired her bow a few times at the Strength Shadow.

Hamuko shook her head as she soon recovered too. "What lousy luck," she frowned before calling for Surt. "Ragnarok!"

An explosion erupted from the Shadow and it screamed. Junpei shook his head and pushed Hamuko out of the way. "Look out!" He took the Tempest Slash for her but smirked. "Hermes!" His Persona countered the assault as best as he could.

"Another roulette is starting up!"

"I've got it this time," Minato frowned as he spotted a blue status effect panel. "Here!" He swiped his sword at the lever and watched the pointer land on the exact space he wanted. "Alright!"

The Strength Arcana began screaming in fear. Koromaru herded it towards the group with a low growl. He attacked it a few times before responding to Minato's whistle.

"I'll handle the rest!" The boy smirked as he called Samael once more. "Ghastly Wail!"

"Will that actually work?" Hamuko frowned but her question was immediately answered when the Strength Arcana collapsed to the ground.

"Tch," Minato smirked as he quickly turned towards the Fortune Arcana. "Your turn…"

"Um, I detect Fortune again!" Fuuka informed them. "So you can attack that one now! Be careful! It's acting again!" The teal-haired girl frowned as she studied the new wheel the Shadow was using. "That's completely unfair! All of you be careful!"

Hamuko tried once more to draw luck towards them, but she let out a frustrated groan as a bigger explosion erupted around the team. "S-sorry!"

"Just leave this to me," Minato laughed. "Fate is on my side today," he arrogantly declared.

Huh? The younger twin watched as the boy recklessly charged forward and swiped his sword against the Shadow. Nii-san… You're not acting like yourself again. She quickly shook her head to clear it as Junpei brought his sword up in front of her to deflect the Shadow's Torrent Shot. "Thanks, Junpei!"

"Don't mention it," he smirked. "Just help your brother!"

Koromaru barked in agreement as he cast Sukukaja on the girl. Hamuko used the extra mobility to rush forward to her brother's side. "Nii-san!"

Minato nodded and lifted his Evoker. "Chi You!" His smirk never faded as Vorpal Blade did extra damage. "This is fantastic!" he cried out. The Shadow tried to draw another fortune, but Minato jammed his sword into the roulette. "Sorry, but your fate ends here!" As he forced the wheel to stop turning, he paused as he sensed something was wrong. The Shadow quickly knocked the boy away for interfering with the spinner. "What!?"

"Nii-san!" Hamuko swiped the lever herself and sighed in relief when the Fortune Shadow was hit by a heavy explosion.

Minato crashed into the phone booth near the station and collapsed to the floor. As he recovered, the blue-haired boy blinked as a Reaper flashed in his mind. What? On who? He glanced around but didn't see the sign of Death on anyone around him. He heard the Fortune Shadow laugh at him and his head began to hurt.

"You've reversed your Fortune!" it taunted him.

"You can't really say that when I'm going to kill you now," Minato smirked as he got back up. He put his Evoker to his head and fired. "Let's go, Atropos!" His eyes widened as the Persona refused to emerge. "Atropos?"

"Fortune favors Fortune!" The Shadow laughed as it cast Magarudyne.

"Junpei!" Yukari pulled the capped boy back and took the hit, knowing he was weak against wind.

"H-hey, Yuka-tan!" He quickly pulled her back up.

Koromaru swiftly dodged the violent gust before barking. He cast Agidyne before running to Hamuko's side. The girl got back up and shook off the damage she sustained. "Keep going, everyone!"

Minato stared at his Evoker oddly. My Fortune reversed…? Atropos is a part of the Fortune Arcana… Why wouldn't she come? His head began to hurt again and he dropped to his knees. A familiar panic began to rise within him. A Reaper? No… The boy glanced at his team once more but couldn't see any of the monstrous omens on anyone. What's this cold sense of dread?

"You've been taking shortcuts," the Fortune Shadow laughed at him. "You'll have to pay the price tonight…"

"Like Hell I will," Minato growled as he forced himself forward.

"Minato-kun!" Fuuka cried out as the boy didn't notice the large wheel falling from the sky. "Look out!"

The boy's blue eyes widened as he tried to push himself back. Junpei quickly grabbed his jacket and jerked their leader towards the rest of the group. Once she was sure her brother was safe, Hamuko quickly decided to finish the Shadow off before the roulette could start up again.

She focused on her currently most powerful Persona and let out a fierce cry. "Sandalphon! Akasha Arts!" She felt her head threaten to split open from the pain, but the angel made swift work of the Shadow before bowing to her.

Minato took a moment to gather his bearings but when he noticed the Shadow was dissipating, a triumphant smirk plastered itself over his face. "Excellent," he nodded. He paused though as he noticed his sister standing in a daze before him. When she collapsed backward, Minato quickly rushed forward to catch her. "Hamuko!" He stared at her worriedly before scolding her. "You idiot. Is Sandalphon too much for you to handle? How did you even get such a powerful Persona?"

"Shinji-kun," Hamuko tiredly responded before sternly frowning at her brother. "And you're one to talk, nii-san... Charging forward like that..."

"Okay, but you didn't have to—" he paused as the feeling of dread returned. He glanced at the rest of his team once more. Shinji-nii? Ken? Oh no… I see what the Shadow was hinting at now… He scowled as he lifted the brunette up and looked towards everyone else. "Let's regroup!"

Fuuka greeted them with a smile. "Good job, everyone."

Junpei sighed in relief. "Man, talk about exhausting."

Aigis studied their surroundings carefully. "This time, those two who call themselves Strega did not interfere."

"It must be because we have Chidori," Yukari nodded. "Anyway, I'm glad everything went well. But, what happened to Shinjiro and Ken?"

Minato glanced over to Akihiko and finally noticed how tense the boxer was. Shit… I overlooked something, the leader thought.

Fuuka quickly got off the communicator. "The Chairman doesn't seem to be too concerned, so he went home."

"Yamagishi," Mitsuru frowned at her, "where are those two?"

"I'm sorry," Fuuka shook her head. "I haven't been able to locate them yet."

"Well, try again," Minato urgently ordered.

"Nii-san?" Hamuko looked at him worriedly as she finally regained the strength to stand on her own.

"S-sorry… I didn't mean to snap like that," the boy frowned.

Mitsuru looked at the boy oddly before addressing the rest of the team. "Let's return to the dorm, and then go from there." She noticed Akihiko wasn't paying attention. "Akihiko, are you listening?"

"Today is…" Akihiko's eyes widened. "October 4th, huh…"

"And?" Yukari frowned at the boxer.

The white-haired senior ignored her as he turned towards the main street. "Just go back without me. I'm gonna go look for them for a while."

Crap… I definitely messed up. Minato went after him. "Akihiko-san! Wait!"

Hamuko stared at them in confusion before Sandalphon spoke to her. "You must go too…"

Shinji-kun! She took off after both boys as a hollow fear began to fill her heart. "I'm going with them!" she called out to the rest of the team.

"Senpai…?" Yukari looked to Mitsuru in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Akihiko…?" Mitsuru frowned.

Shinjiro stopped walking as he returned to the familiar back alley behind Port Island Station. He focused his steel-grey eyes on the small figure before him.

Ken held out his spear threateningly towards Shinjiro. "You came…" The older boy didn't respond as he stared at the young brunet. "I'm surprised you abandoned the operation. Do you know why I asked you to meet me here? Two years ago today…" Ken frowned. "October 4th. That was the day my mom died here. They called it an accident… but it wasn't." He angrily glared at the teenager. "I saw the whole thing… You murdered her!" Shinjiro's silence only infuriated him so he continued. "Since then, it's been one bad thing after another… And all I get from people is sympathy, no matter where I go. What's the point in living…?" He frowned to himself. "I even thought about killing myself… but Mom wouldn't have wanted that. That's why I decided that I had to find her killer—YOU! You said once that you wanted to forget what happened on that day… So, when I found out it was a full moon today, I knew I had to confront you." Ken tightened his grip around his weapon. "Today, Mom is watching over me. I'll make you remember what you did to her!" He let out a frustrated scream. "I'm gonna kill you!"

Shinjiro's eyes narrowed on the young boy hatefully glaring at him. "Do it," he calmly stated, accepting his fate.

Yukari noticed the dorm was empty as they returned. "Huh? No one's here…"

Junpei shook his head. "Anyway, why was Akihiko-san acting so weird? What's so special about October 4th?"

"October the 4th…" Mitsuru took the time to really ponder the date. Her eyes widened as she let out a sharp gasp. "That's right! I was so caught up in the operation that I didn't realize it… This is the day Amada's mother was killed!"

"You serious!?" Junpei blinked at the senior.

"Yamagishi, I need you to find the two of them immediately," Mitsuru commanded. "There's a good chance that they're together. Akihiko must have already realized that… Yuki and Arisato must have sensed something was amiss too…"

"I-I understand," Fuuka nodded as she summoned Lucia.

"Umm…" Yukari turned to Mitsuru in confusion. "What's going on?"

"Although her death was officially listed as an accident…" Mitsuru lowered her gaze as she remembered the incident. "We're the ones who killed Amada's mother. It was two years ago, when we were pursuing an unusual Shadow that had escaped into the city… We were in a residential area, but the Shadow was all we were thinking about… Aragaki was still new, and he momentarily lost control of his power… Unfortunately, there was a casualty: Amada's mother."

"No way…" Junpei couldn't believe it. "Are you shittin' me!?"

"Then, to Ken-kun," Yukari's frown deepened with worry, "Senpai is…"

"Amada volunteered to join us," Mitsuru considered. "But, now that I think about it…"

Fuuka quickly interrupted as she located the boys. "I found them! They're together, and another Persona-user is nearby…"

"Akihiko?" Mitsuru asked.

Fuuka shook her head. "No… it's…" She gasped. "It's a member of Strega!"

"That's not good," Junpei said.

"Ugh…" Mitsuru quickly started for the door. "It's an absolute nightmare!"

"Senpai!" Yukari called out for her but motioned for the other juniors to follow. "C'mon!"

"Do it," Shinjiro repeated himself. "I won't stop you. You're right… I wanted to forget. That's why I left the group, and tried to suppress my power… But, nothing I did could erase the memory…" He kept his gaze steady on the young boy. "And now, I find myself here—the last place I want to be." Ken frowned but didn't lower his weapon. "It's my fault…" Shinjiro continued. "This is what I deserve. But… let me give you one warning."

"Warning…?" Ken frowned at the older boy.

"If you decide to take my life, you'll end up like me. Just remember that…" the older brunet nodded.

"Is that supposed to change my mind…?" Ken angrily asked.

"Even if all you have now is hatred, one day you'll regret it," Shinjiro calmly spoke.

"Shut up!" Ken snapped. "That's a load of crap!"

Takaya's voice came out from nearby. "He is correct." He stepped out from the shadows behind Shinjiro. "There is no reason for him to feel regret… That is the nature of revenge. Is it not permissible to kill those who are themselves killers?"

"You," Shinjiro frowned at him.

"The loss of Chidori has posed a bit of a challenge for us…" Takaya sighed. "But, we cannot simply ignore your meddling." He pulled out his revolver and pointed it at the boys. "Do not fear. This life is but a stepping stone. Salvation shall be yours…" he smiled.

Shinjiro stepped forward to block Ken from the gun's line of fire. "What!?"

"You cannot defy fate…" Takaya shook his head. "You shall die… whether or not it is at the hand of this boy." Shinjiro frowned to himself. "You've been taking those pills for some time now… You don't have much longer."

Ken glared at Shinjiro. "What's he talking about!?"

"That's bullshit!" the older brunet defiantly shouted.

"Listen to your body…" Takaya tilted his head to the side. "You know it to be true."

"What does he mean…?" Ken began to shake. "You're going to die…? No matter what I do?" He shook his head as despair filled him. "That's not fair! All this time! I've been waiting for this!"

"The cause of death is not of importance," Takaya shrugged. "Besides, the breath of life is faint in you as well, child. After killing him, you were planning to join him, were you not?" Ken remained silent at that. "Since you are both destined to perish, allow me to do the honors… A slight change in timing shouldn't matter too much."

"Go to hell!" Shinjiro rushed towards the shirtless boy but a shot rang through the air. "Ugh…!" The pain was instantaneous and Shinjiro staggered. "Agh…!"

"N-no…" Ken's knees shook.

Takaya brought the revolver up towards the tall brunet's head. "Now then… With what life you have left, answer me this… There is one like Chidori among you, is there not? This has enabled you to locate and defeat those we wish to protect. Now tell me… Which one of you is it?"

"Ugh… ah…" Shinjiro pressed against his wound. Damn… I won't let them go after Fuuka…

Ken gasped. Fuuka-san… He clenched his fists as he thought of the rest of the dorm. I'm sorry, everyone…

"What's the matter?" Takaya frowned at the bleeding boy. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Th-there's… no one…" Shinjiro glared at him.

"Wait!" Ken cried. "It-it's me!"

"Is that true?" Takaya looked over Shinjiro's shoulder towards the small boy.

"Yes," Ken lowered his head. "That's the only reason they let me join."

"Ken…" Shinjiro tried to turn to look at him, "no…!" Takaya kicked the tall boy to the ground. "Agh!"

"Quiet," the shirtless boy looked down on him. "You had your chance."

"It doesn't matter anymore…" Ken shook his head. "I'll never have my revenge. I have no reason to live."

"I see," Takaya nodded. "So, you have achieved resolution." He pointed his revolver at Ken. "How enviable… Then, you shall be first. Rest peacefully…" The leader of Strega fired his gun, but with as much strength as he had left within him, Shinjiro pushed himself up from the ground and took the bullet for Ken with his body.

Ken flinched but when he sensed nothing happen, he opened his eyes to see Shinjiro standing in front of him. "What…? Huh!?"

The older boy coughed as he collapsed to the ground. Takaya narrowed his eyes on the foolish brunet. "What is the meaning of this? Why would you risk your life to save this child?"

Shinjiro glared up at him as he heard someone coming towards them from the alley. Akihiko cried out when he saw his childhood friend, bleeding from two bullet wounds. "Shinji!"

"How very disappointing…" Takaya sighed. "And now your comrades arrive. Is there any moment of joy they won't intrude upon…?" He turned away from them. "Perhaps another time, then…" He paused as he felt a strong murderous intent directed towards him and immediately dodged a lyre that slammed down into the ground at his side.

"Takaya!" Minato angrily fired his Evoker again only to have another Persona refuse his call. "You bastard…"

"Ah… We meet again, Minato Yuki…" Takaya smirked. "A shame your powers could not prevent this tragedy…"

"I'm going to kill you!" The blue-haired boy seethed as he tossed his useless Evoker aside. He thrust his blade forward but missed.

Taking advantage of the junior's blind fury, Takaya slammed his heavy revolver against Minato's head. "Such raw emotion… Will it trigger that Reaper again?" Takaya paused to study the junior, but shook his head before walking away. It would take too long to wait for the boy to recover and even then, there was no guarantee he would summon that remarkable Persona from before.

Minato staggered and fell to the ground. His head rang as he tried to recover. Once his vision steadied itself, the blue-haired boy glared at the ground. Dammit… I was too weak… A voice behind him brought him to the senses and he turned around to see his sister crying.

"Shinji-kun!" Hamuko cried as she took off her jacket and pressed it against the gunshot wounds to stop the bleeding.

"Shinji!" Akihiko shook his head. "Shinji, hey! Hang in there!"

Minato got to his feet and saw Mitsuru and the rest of the team running towards them in the distance. Mitsuru's eyes widened at the startling sight. "Shinjiro!"

"Senpai!" Yukari called out.

"Shinjiro-senpai!" Junpei choked out.

Fuuka stopped running and frowned. "No…" She looked towards Minato and gave him a questioning glance.

Ashamed of his failure, the leader lowered his gaze and clenched his fists. How could I have let this happen…?

Shinjiro groaned as he looked towards Ken. "Ken…" The boy remained silent as he stared at the dying teen. "Heh… Why the long face?" Shinjiro smirked at him. "Isn't this… what you wanted?" He tried to take a deep breath but it hurt to do so. "It's alright… Give yourself time… Let your anger be your strength. You're still just a kid, Ken… You got your whole life ahead of ya… So don't waste it…" He winced. "Make it your own… Okay?"

"But I…" Ken shook his head. "I…!"

"Aki," Shinjiro looked at his best friend. "Take care of 'im…"

Akihiko did his best to fight his tears. "I will."

Shinjiro finally looked down at Hamuko who was futilely treating him. She didn't stop trying though as she cried. "Shinji-kun… No…"

"Don't cry… Hamuko…" the brunet sadly smiled at her. He raised a hand on her face and wiped her tears away. "I told you… you look best when you smile."

"Y-yeah…" Hamuko nodded and tried to give him her best smile.

"That's it…" Shinjiro could feel his own tears building up. "This is how… it should be…" He began coughing and it turned into ragged gasps before he lost consciousness.

"Ah…" Ken took a step towards him.

"The hospital…" Fuuka quickly turned to Mitsuru. "W-we need to get him to the hospital…"

"Y-yes, let's waste no time…" the red-haired senior nodded in agreement. She froze as she looked around the sickly green atmosphere. "It's the Dark Hour… until it ends, the doctors won't be…"

"No…" Yukari shook her head. "Then is he not going to make it!?"

Ken clenched his fists and screamed. "Noooo!"

Hamuko wailed too as she buried her face into Shinjiro's chest as she couldn't maintain her smile forever, especially not like this. Minato picked her up from the ground and hugged her, all the while apologizing to her. Junpei and Akihiko carefully lifted up Shinjiro's body as they all rushed to the hospital. By the time Shinjiro arrived, the Dark Hour ended but he could no longer breathe on his own. The doctors did everything they could to resuscitate him, but the flat cry of the heart monitor revealed to SEES their worst nightmare. Silence filled the dorm that night.

Final Notes: No bonus scene... Because really... So despite having Hamuko max out his Link, I opted to kill Shinjiro because... I wanted the school memorial scene... I was kinda pissed off at the lack of the memorial scene when I played Hamuko's route... Also... Kinda dark but... Hamuko can still sorta see him anyways... Ngh... But I guess on a lighter note, I might as well put my thoughts on the other complete Social Links... Why did they change the original Lovers Link with Yukari? I mean... I'm glad it's less romantic and not shoved down my throat but... uh... They changed her Link and not Fuuka's? Fuuka's Link is still crap... She deserves a more interesting story but I digress... Bunkichi and Mitsuko... I'm kinda neutral towards them. They're old and I just play the part of a good grandchild because that's how I was raised. Kenji though... Oh... Kenji... Poor, poor dumbass... Totally wish Minato could have hung out with Junpei... As for Kaz, he's also a high school boy... so of course he's a dumbass too for screwing with his knee... Oh, according to the max Social Link schedule, Fuuka should have also been completed too, but... stalling that out for a while longer.